(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel sleeve attachment for a multilayered protective coat, and more particularly to a sleeve attachment which includes a detachable wristlet assembly capable of telescoping axial movement with respect to a multilayered protective coat.
(2) Prior Art
In an effort to provide improved protection for firefighters, multilayered protective coats of the type, for example, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,806, have been developed to provide more effective protective envelopes about the wearer thereof. Generally, a coat of such type includes: (i) a damage-resistant outer shell having an openable body portion with sleeves appended thereto, and a closure means such as a zipper or other fastening means for securing the openable body portion; (ii) an inner thermal liner comprised of a body portion having appended thereto sleeves and closure means which is substantially coincidental with the closure means of the outer shell; and (iii) a means for removably securing the outer shell to the inner liner. The inner liner of such a coat includes an interior thermal layer which is comprised of material suitable to provide thermal insulation, and a barrier layer comprised of a material suitable to provide a moisture barrier, the barrier layer being fixedly secured to the exterior surface of the thermal layer.
As multilayered protective coats for firefighters have been improved through the employment of more effective insulative materials, moisture barriers and protective outer shells to provide more effective protective envelopes, there has been the problem of entrapment within such protective envelopes of the moisture generated by the firefighter's own body. To obviate the difficulties presented to a firefighter as the result of the saturation of his inner garments due to such moisture entrapment, the multilayered protective coats of the aforesaid type are especially configured for prompt and simple assembly and disassembly, in the field or at the firehouse, so as to permit the removal of the prespiration soaked inner liner for replacement purposes, and/or for cleaning and drying of same.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 651,801, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,670 incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a sleeve attachment of a multilayered protective coat, comprised of a detachable innersleeve wristlet assembly including a tubular wristlet and a flexible innersleeve circumferentially secured to the tubular wristlet. The flexible innersleeve is folded in an axial direction to form a plurality of telescoping annular layers, and has circumferentially secured thereto a fastening means for cooperation with a fastening means circumferentially secured to the outer shell sleeve for establishing a removable, circumerential attachment between the flexible innersleeve and the outer shell sleeve.